Blood Counts

Is there any type of documentation that is available that goes through what the all the different things they are measuring when they do the blood work prior to chemotherapy, and what each of these mean in relation to the cancer?  I've seen the count sheets, and outside of some of them indicating High and some low, and other's being normal, I don't know what most of the items are and why they are important.  Is there anything in the counts that indicate if the cancer is reacting to the chemotherapy? Can any of them indicate that the cancer is spreading?

[CCF-RN,MSN-JS]

Dear motherof2insouthernflorida, What is being monitored through the blood work is the side effects of the chemotherapy, and to make sure that your body is recuperating from chemotherapy before proceding with the next course.  It is not monitoring the cancer activity.  

Chemotherapy effects faster growing cells in the body, for example, the white and red blood cells, and platelets.  So the complete blood count (CBC)will give information about these cells, and that it is safe to proceed with the next dose of chemotherapy.  The other blood work being evaluated usually is a combination of electrolytes (sodium, potassium, calcium etc), as well as your organ function (liver and kidneys).  

A resource for you that may help explain some of the blood tests in more detail is chemocare.com.  There is a good explanation of what chemotherapy in general does, as well as about blood counts withing the managing side effects section.